tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169Fri, 03 Oct 2014 08:01:14 +0000baseballBarry Bondsboston red soxworld seriesHooters GirlsSF GiantsSpring TrainingTigersmlb3M746ALCSAlan H. "Bud" SeligAtBaseball?BestBudChicago CubsChris YoungComericaCubsCubs SD FightDerek LeeDodgersFoxHome RunInKNBRLew WolffLunchMLB CommissionerMarlinsMetsOaklandPhilliesPitchingRalph BarberiRed Sox'sSan Diego PadresSeligSpeechSportsStartingTheYankeesbaseball fightbaseball ticketsblonde sports reporterbonds v. aaronbostonboston globecleveland indianscolorado rockiescongressdetroitfit modelhealthhenry aaronhome run chasehome run kinghot modeljulie donaldsonmarknew york metsnew york yankeesparkrepublicansrudy giulianisalessenatestadiumsteroidssurpassticketworld series game oneworld series ticketsMLB Baseball Business Bloghttp://bballbiz.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)Blogger401125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-1464652219176716070Sun, 16 Sep 2012 04:34:00 +00002012-09-15T21:34:00.295-07:00Magic Johnson Introduced as Dodgers Owner by Vin Scully<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YS0t5qgeOfw?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br /><br />Magic Johnson is introduced as LA Dodgers owner by legendary broadcaster Vin Scully. He says that his role is to stay in the background and not interrupt the daily routine of the players. <br /><br />What Magic brings to the role of key Dodgers owner is the understanding of what it means to be a player and play at a championship level with respect to management. He's stayed in the background and worked to engineer aggressive trades to make the team better this year. <br /><br />Congratulations to Magic Johnson. http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2012/09/magic-johnson-introduced-as-dodgers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-6647085944261306479Sat, 28 Jul 2012 08:21:00 +00002012-07-28T01:21:10.874-07:00The Jeffersons Theme Song Sang By Zennie Abraham<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OBojKcD6JwE?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-jeffersons-theme-song-sang-by.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-3621091397858063754Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:16:00 +00002010-11-01T10:16:42.331-07:00Texas Rangers Nolan Ryan Says "We Can Win Three In A Row" In World Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.customauthenticjerseys.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Nolan-Ryan-Waiting-for-the-Green-Light-on-The-Rangers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.customauthenticjerseys.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Nolan-Ryan-Waiting-for-the-Green-Light-on-The-Rangers.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>As <a href="http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/2010/11/world-series-2010-rangers-nolan-ryan.html">reported at Zennie62.com</a>, after making them wait, Texas Rangers Team President and Pitching Legend Nolan Ryan came on <i>The Dan Patrick Show</i> this morning and deadpanned that he thinks the team, currently being clobbered 26 to 9 by the San Francisco Giants, can "win three in a row."<br /><br />Was Nolan Ryan sending a message to his organization? Certainly. Was he trying to dis the San Francisco Giants? Not at all. Ryan praised the Giants performance, saying they are "by far" playing the best baseball, but Nolan did say he didn't expect the offensive performance he's seen from the Giants thus far. <br /><br />The full recap of Dan Patrick's interview with Nolan Ryan is <a href="http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/2010/11/world-series-2010-rangers-nolan-ryan.html">here at Zennie62.com</a>.http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2010/11/texas-rangers-nolan-ryan-says-we-can.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-8649125325283233354Sun, 09 May 2010 23:50:00 +00002010-05-09T16:50:45.820-07:00Dallas Braden gets 2nd Oakland A's perfect game in 42 years (video)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.scout.com/media/image/53/530524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://media.scout.com/media/image/53/530524.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dallas Braden&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table>The Oakland Athletics Dallas Braden became the 14th player in Oakland A's history to throw a no-hitter or a perfect game, and just the second A's player to pitch a perfect game - the other being Catfish Hunter in 1968. <br /><br />Braden led the A's to a 4-0 win against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Oakland on Mother's Day. <br /><br />Now lost in all the celebration is what a "perfect game" in baseball is. It's not a "no-hitter"; it's beyond that. It's a game where no player from the opposing team gains a hit or gets on base in any way, even by a walk or a hit batter. <br /><br />Nothing. &nbsp;Nada. &nbsp;Zip. <br /><br />Here's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7QoV9G1nfE">the video</a>: <br /><br /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T7QoV9G1nfE&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640"></embed> <br /><br />That's what Dallas Braden did today. Braden's the first Oakland A's pitcher to throw a perfect game in 42 years. That's incredible. <br /><br />Much has been made of Braden's feud with The New York Yankees' Alex Rodriquez, who's behavior has been rather salty since he was dumped by Kate Hudson after she <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxUg3DklpiA">learned A-Rod was allegedly cheating on her</a>. <br /><br /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CxUg3DklpiA&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640"></embed><br /><br />When the Oakland A's last played the New York Yankees, A-Rod crossed the mound that was manned by Dallas Braden. Braden took offense to the action and said that A-Rod did not understand baseball etiquette and their "would be repercussions" if <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihCgCrsNo1M">he did it again, as this video shows</a>:<br /><br /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ihCgCrsNo1M&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480"></embed><br /><br />The Yankees and A's face again July 5th, 6th, and 7th, in Oakland. Oaklander's, let's make those games sellouts!http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2010/05/dallas-braden-gets-2nd-oakland-as.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-9132906816446332909Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:48:00 +00002009-10-19T20:48:50.972-07:00Angels baseball beats Yankees baseball 5-4: battle of payrolls<a href="http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">More at Zennie62.com</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/zennie62">Follow me on Twitter!</a> | <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/zennie-abraham"> Get my widget!</a> | <a href="http://www.youtube.com/zennie62"> Visit YouTube </a> | <a href="http://www.ushow.com/profile/zennie62"> Visit UShow.com</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PlJTNgrwPpY/St0rVKr495I/AAAAAAAADLQ/0zHFz977LbA/s1600-h/angels_athletics_baseball_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PlJTNgrwPpY/St0rVKr495I/AAAAAAAADLQ/0zHFz977LbA/s320/angels_athletics_baseball_400.jpg" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Angels win was a Money-ball story</b><br /></div><br />The old saying: the more things change the more they stay the same. The Los Angeles Angels beat the New York Yankees <a href="http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2009/10/los_angeles_angels_puts_yankee.html">5-4 today</a> in the AL Championship Series. They're back 2 games to one and could make a real game of it with another win. <br /><br />But don't make the mistake of thinking that it was David beating Goliath, where the New York Yankees monster payroll was clobbered by the miserly fiscal practices of the Angels.<br /><br />Ha!<br /><br />The truth is that the 2009 player expeditures for both teams are not far off. The Yankees payroll was between <a href="http://riveraveblues.com/2009/02/updated-yankees-2009-payroll-information-7654/">$192 million</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&amp;id=4054660">$201 million</a> this year; the Angels payroll was at $113 million. <br /><br />Both teams are part of the top six highest payrolls in Major League Baseball, proving that it takes money to win, even in this post-Moneyball era. This was supposed to be the time when the Internet and sabermetrics created a baseball team that could consistently when with a low payroll. <br /><br />But the reality in 2009 is the same as it was in 1993 and in 2002 when I created the <a href="http://www.sportsbusinesssims.com/business-simulations-oakland-baseball-simworld-study.htm">Oakland Baseball Simworld</a> in partnership with <a href="http://forio.com/">Forio Business Simulations</a>, and 2003 when <a href="http://www.sportsbusinesssims.com/management.htm">University of San Francisco Professor Dan Rascher</a> and I founded <a href="http://www.sportsbusinesssims.com/">Sports Business Simulations</a>. <br /><br />Payroll rules. <br /><br />Our simulation was and is designed to reflect both the "Moneyball" approach and the more common "Pay-To-Win" strategy, but it's the latter that's hard to beat. <br /><br />In fact, Smith college Sports Economist Andrew Zimbalist (who's also a member of our <a href="http://www.sportsbusinesssims.com/sbs.fort.rascher.zimbalist.advisory.board.htm">simulation advisory board</a>) determined that after 1990 there was a <a href="http://jse.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/3/2/149">more powerful correlation</a> between higher payrolls and team performance. <br /><br />I tried for years to make a team "work" in the context of the current Oakland Coliseum using the <a href="http://www.sportsbusinesssims.com/business-simulations-oakland-baseball-simworld-study.htm">Oakland Baseball Simworld</a> (which I developed from scratch for the purpose of teaching marketing, business, and sports finance in high school and college classrooms and is based on my work at the City of Oakland). It's hard to achieve the 250 and up score that indicates baseball business success. <br /><br />The only answer is to build a new stadium. Location aside - Oakland's better - it's the best tonic to turn any Oakland-based baseball team into a winner, including the one currently called The Oakland Athletics. <br /><br />Meanwhile, the Yankees and Angels will keep being in the hunt for the World Series. Some things never change.http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2009/10/angels-baseball-beats-yankees-baseball.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-6838495012963992924Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:51:00 +00002009-06-18T21:51:33.040-07:00Erin Andrews's Bottom<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/BMkAI_MhiTw' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/BMkAI_MhiTw'/></object></p></div>http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2009/06/erin-andrews-bottom.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-672236311572679552Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:29:00 +00002009-03-31T13:29:04.597-07:00Coliseum Stadium Plan For Oakland Athletics Revealed<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/LR5DRN4ASlA' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/LR5DRN4ASlA'/></object></p><p>The Commissioner of Baseball on Monday announced a new committee devoted to determining the viability of baseball in the East Bay. In his statements Commissioner Bud Selig said that the A's owners have exhausted their efforts in Oakland. <br /><br />But really, they have not. <br /><br />Here's an example in this plan for a new Coliseum baseball stadium on the parking lot land of the facility.<br /><br />The plan, created by architect Frank Dobson and Retail Leasing expert Bob Leste with Oaklander Steve Lowe was first introduced in 2004 and while it was presented to the then-new ownership group and A's Managing Partner Lew Wolff, it went largely ignored by them. Wolff was known to be in love with a concept called a baseball village and needed a lot of land to make that work, hence the Fremont land chase.<br /><br />But the idea called for hundreds of acres of land, more than the A's organization could afford given the economy and so needing public money turned to Fremont, which turned a deaf ear to their request.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Wolff has not wanted to be in Oakland, but the Mayor's Sports and Entertainment Task Force wants to maintain the A's here in Oakland. To that end, it supports the plan you're about to see in this video.<br /><br />The plan needs to be upgraded for 2009 and a financing plan developed. It also lacks an economic impact analysis and a job development report. But just eyeballing the plan I can say it can generate about 10,000 construction jobs and 4,000 permanent jobs. It calls for a new stadium, a parking structure, and a retail structure at the Coliseum as well as an enlarged BART bridge. The total cost is about $440 million but we at the task force understand that was a 2004 estimate.<br /><br />The video shows much of Bob Leste's presentation to the task force last Thursday and the discussion as well as the plan itself. </p></div>http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2009/03/coliseum-stadium-plan-for-oakland.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-9169465779218701777Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:47:00 +00002009-02-10T13:47:45.982-08:00Barry Bonds Arraignment in San Francisco Federal Court<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/9muv-_kHTnk' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/9muv-_kHTnk'/></object></p><p>From Inside Bay Area: Former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds pleaded not guilty to 11 criminal counts as part of an indictment accusing him of lying about steroid use before a 2003 grand jury.</p></div>http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2009/02/barry-bonds-arraignment-in-san.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-3588451440693958098Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:17:00 +00002009-02-10T08:17:04.752-08:00ARod? Steroids? Blame Baseball and The Commissioner<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/znMTA4TWT4A' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/znMTA4TWT4A'/></object></p><p>Alex Rodriguez admitted that he took performance enhancing drugs in 2003, and perhaps between 2001 and 2003 while with the Texas Rangers. But I don't blame him, I blame Baseball and the Commissioner of Baseball for the "Golden Home Run Age."</p></div>http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2009/02/arod-steroids-blame-baseball-and_10.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-8681696331194609168Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:15:00 +00002009-02-10T08:15:46.378-08:00ARod? Steroids? Blame Baseball and The Commissioner<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/znMTA4TWT4A' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/znMTA4TWT4A'/></object></p><p>Alex Rodriguez admitted that he took performance enhancing drugs in 2003, and perhaps between 2001 and 2003 while with the Texas Rangers. But I don't blame him, I blame Baseball and the Commissioner of Baseball for the "Golden Home Run Age."</p></div>http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2009/02/arod-steroids-blame-baseball-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-2107743287954467086Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:29:00 +00002009-01-04T16:29:59.524-08:002009 Go Cubs Go Chicago Cubs Promotional Video - Miracle On Addison Street<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/OCxSd0IBwK0' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/OCxSd0IBwK0'/></object></p></div>http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2009/01/2009-go-cubs-go-chicago-cubs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-989272692054563139Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:37:00 +00002008-11-20T16:37:17.227-08:00 Emails Between Mark Cuban and SEC Attorney Jeffrey NorrisNow comes the strange tale of Jeffrey Norris, trial counsel for the SEC in Fort Worth, Texas. His emails to Cuban critical over Cuban's involvement with Loose Change are at the center of Cuban's claim of bias.<br/><br/><a href='http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/11/20/a-maverick-exchange-the-emails-between-mark-cuban-and-jeffrey-norris/'>read more</a> | <a href='http://digg.com/basketball/Emails_Between_Mark_Cuban_and_SEC_Attorney_Jeffrey_Norris'>digg story</a>http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2008/11/emails-between-mark-cuban-and-sec.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-2666795811200987518Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:29:00 +00002008-11-19T20:29:02.214-08:00MLB Awards: How Did We Do With Our Predictions?Here’s a list of the recently assigned MLB awards and how Baseball Reflections fared in predicting them.AL Rookie of the YearWe at Baseball Reflections were right on with selecting Rays 3B Evan Longoria as the hands down choice. But in all fairness, this wasn’t difficult to predict. No one else even came close to Longoria in 2008.<br/><br/><a href='http://baseballreflections.com/2008/11/19/mlb-awards-how-did-we-do-with-our-predictions/'>read more</a> | <a href='http://digg.com/baseball/MLB_Awards_How_Did_We_Do_With_Our_Predictions'>digg story</a>http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2008/11/mlb-awards-how-did-we-do-with-our.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-2876199673965321397Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:28:00 +00002008-11-19T20:28:43.074-08:00Mariners Name Don Wakamatsu ManagerDon Wakamatsu became the first Asian-American manager in major league baseball history when he was hired Wednesday by the Seattle Mariners.<br/><br/><a href='http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BBA-Mariners-Wakamatsu.html?_r=1'>read more</a> | <a href='http://digg.com/baseball/Mariners_Name_Don_Wakamatsu_Manager'>digg story</a>http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2008/11/mariners-name-don-wakamatsu-manager.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-506532407218549075Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:28:00 +00002008-11-19T20:28:31.317-08:00A's owner suggests making first round of playoffs one gameLew Wolff has a way to shorten baseball's postseason: Make the first round best-of-one.<br/><br/><a href='http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3712578'>read more</a> | <a href='http://digg.com/baseball/A_s_owner_suggests_making_first_round_of_playoffs_one_game'>digg story</a>http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2008/11/owner-suggests-making-first-round-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-2113733580545490421Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:28:00 +00002008-11-19T20:28:16.833-08:00BREAKING NEWS: Mussina to retireThere it is. We all thought we knew what was going to happen, and it turned out to be true. Mike Mussina..coming off one of his best seasons in his career, will be retiring from baseball. Mike never got the championship ring he wanted, or 300 wins, but he had one heck of a career. He is going out on top. Mussina is one of the few FA transactions<br/><br/><a href='http://zellspinstripeblog.com/2008/11/20/breaking-news-mussina-to-retire/'>read more</a> | <a href='http://digg.com/baseball/BREAKING_NEWS_Mussina_to_retire'>digg story</a>http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2008/11/breaking-news-mussina-to-retire.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zennie Abraham)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-6078054858022188105Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:12:00 +00002008-08-13T01:40:14.510-07:00Barry Bonds To Sign With Tampa BayRemove the label of free agent from the home run champions slate. Barry Bonds is the newest member of the Tampa Bay Rays. The AL East leading Rays are expected to add a thunderous jolt of offensive prowess and media frenzy to their lineup with the late season addition of the 42-year old Bonds.<br /><br />The announcement could come later this morning as the surging Rays begin the second of a three-game set against the Oakland Athletics. As if the questionable timing does not appear peculiar enough, the seven-time MVP might make his American League debut Thursday afternoon at the Coliseum, minutes away from the city in which he established himself as one of the premier sluggers in major league history.<br /><br />After returning from the Rays 2-1 defeat last night, rumblings were blatantly evident among A's fans on the train system that Bonds was now back, and ready to wreck havoc on AL pitchers en route to a potential World Series run with the surging Rays.http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2008/08/barry-bonds-to-sign-with-tampa-bay.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Kaye)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-3567764425957084295Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:58:00 +00002008-04-16T19:01:08.005-07:00Forbes: Yankees worth $1.3 billionNEW YORK (AP)—The <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/nyy/;_ylt=AuH6X8WVRLAK8Uiurh_lvnCpu7YF">New York Yankees</a>’ value increased to $1.306 billion over the past year, according to the annual estimates by Forbes magazine, a rise of 9 percent over the past year.<br />The <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/nym/;_ylt=Aqyv8ba0SsMofhK6D7mboo6pu7YF">New York Mets</a> were second at $824 million and the <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/bos/;_ylt=An_STtKzc5zZeBjjrLVu486pu7YF">Boston Red Sox</a> third at $816 million, the magazine said Wednesday. After that, there was a big gap to the <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/lad/;_ylt=Ai360wy5.WXq0GQ2rODEFF6pu7YF">Los Angeles Dodgers</a> ($694 million) and the <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/chc/;_ylt=AmTQ508_97Nguq6I5BidnZipu7YF">Chicago Cubs</a> ($642 million).<br /><br />The Yankees were listed by Forbes as having $327 million in revenue last year and a $47.3 million operating loss, up from a $25.2 million loss on revenue of $302 million the previous year. Forbes’ revenue figure is after deducting revenue sharing payments, which the Yankees estimate at about $92 million. The team also paid approximately $24 million in luxury tax, which is reflected in the operating loss.<br /><br />The Mets had an operating profit of $32.9 million, according to Forbes. Boston, according to Forbes, had a $19.1 million operating loss.<br /><br />Both New York teams are planning to move into new ballparks in 2009, which should significantly increase their revenues.<br /><br />At the bottom, the three teams with the lowest values were Florida ($256 million), Tampa Bay ($290 million) and Pittsburgh ($292 million). Forbes estimated the Marlins had an operating profit of $35.6 million, the Rays $29.7 million and the Pirates $17.6 million.<br /><br />Washington had the highest estimated operating profit at $43.7 million. Forbes said the average operating profit in the majors was $16 million.http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2008/04/forbes-yankees-worth-13-billion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Kaye)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-2494044035456862821Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:54:00 +00002008-04-14T18:11:01.141-07:00Lackluster Start For The Detroit TigersAnchored with a $136 million payroll and an All-Star studded lineup featuring the likes of 25-year old slugger Miguel Cabrera and batting champion Magglio Ordonez, the Tigers have faltered out of the gate to a dismal 2-10 start in the highly competitive American League Central.<br /><br /><br />Plagued by injuries to left-handed hurler Dontrelle Willis, designated hitter Gary Sheffield, center fielder Curtis Granderson, and relievers Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney, Detroit is winless at home and has been outscored 69-21 through the first two weeks of the season.http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2008/04/lackluster-start-for-detroit-tigers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Kaye)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-2124720075363259267Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:26:00 +00002008-03-30T20:27:08.582-07:00Orioles cut injury-riddled Gibbons, eat $11.9 million of his contractBy DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer <br /><br />BALTIMORE (AP)—Jay Gibbons was released Sunday by the Baltimore Orioles, who lost patience waiting for the oft-injured outfielder to regain the form that enabled him to hit 26 home runs in 2005.<br /><br />Gibbons batted .189 with no homers and four RBIs in 16 games this spring training after playing in only 84 games last season. Baltimore owes him $11.9 million for the next two seasons as part of a $21.1 million, four-year contract he agreed to in January 2006.<br /><br />The 31-year-old Gibbons was suspended for 15 days on Dec. 6 by commissioner Bud Selig following a media report that he received a shipment of the human growth hormone after January 2005, when it was banned by baseball. Kansas City outfielder Jose Guillen also was suspended for 15 days.<br /><br />On Friday, the commissioner’s office and players’ players association put the penalties on hold for 10 days to allow for further negotiations over their drug agreement. If a deal is struck, the suspensions likely would be dropped.http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2008/03/orioles-cut-injury-riddled-gibbons-eat.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Kaye)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-3667652621264749211Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:23:00 +00002008-03-30T20:26:01.779-07:00Selig: ‘Chemists out there working’ on possible human growth hormone testWASHINGTON (AP)—Commissioner Bud Selig expressed confidence Sunday night that an agreement can be reached to strengthen baseball’s drug-testing policy.<br /><br />“There’s negotiations ongoing,” Selig said during Sunday night’s inaugural game at Nationals Park. “I’d rather not comment other than that.”<br /><br />Selig said “Yes” when asked if was confident of an agreement with the players’ union. He also cited the lack of reliable test for human growth hormone as a significant hurdle to cleaning up the sport.<br /><br />“It’s not perfect,” Selig said. “It’s going to change. There are chemists out there working.”<br /><br />President Bush, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves, said he thought December’s Mitchell Report on drugs in baseball “was part of the cleansing process.”<br /><br />“I’m happy with the recognition that it was a problem,” Bush said Sunday night during the ESPN broadcast. “I certainly hope the players continue to work to clean up the sport.”http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2008/03/selig-chemists-out-there-working-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Kaye)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-7315837235024111023Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:20:00 +00002008-03-30T20:23:10.203-07:00Washington Nationals open their new stadium by beating Atlanta Braves on Zimmerman’s homerBy HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Sports Writer <br /><br />WASHINGTON (AP)—Nationals Park had quite an opening.<br /><br />Ryan Zimmerman hit a tiebreaking homer off Peter Moylan with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 Sunday night in the first regular-season game at the $611 million stadium.<br /><br />With the dome of the U.S. Capitol lit up against the black night sky beyond left field, and the Washington Monument visible from patches of the upper deck, Zimmerman raised his right fist as he rounded first base. Teammates spilled out of the dugout—it’s along the first-base line now, not the third-base line, like at old RFK Stadium—and greeted the face of the franchise at home plate for celebratory pounds on the back.<br /><br />Nick Johnson delivered an RBI double in his first at-bat in more than 18 months, Odalis Perez matched Tim Hudson, and Jon Rauch (1-0) earned the victory after blowing a save in the top of the ninth.<br /><br />All in all, it sent the paid crowd of 39,389 heading away with even more to smile about than the gleaming white-stone-and-glass ballpark.<br /><br />With President Bush on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, the Nationals had their first victory in a season opener in four tries since moving to the nation’s capital from Montreal.http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2008/03/washington-nationals-open-their-new.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Kaye)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-6286384863673162968Thu, 10 Jan 2008 05:08:00 +00002008-01-09T21:11:48.855-08:00Gossage elected to Hall of FameNEW YORK (Ticker) - Rich Gossage's long wait is over. <br /><br />Gossage, who helped pioneer the role of the modern closer in the 1970s, was the only player elected Tuesday to baseball's Hall of Fame. <br /><br />Gossage received nearly 86 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers' Association - easily surpassing the needed 75 percent for enshrinement - in his ninth year on the ballot. <br /><br />Nicknamed the "Goose", Gossage recorded 310 saves during a 22-year career from 1972-1994 and was a member of the New York Yankees' 1978 World Series-winning team. <br /><br />"(He) was one of the greatest relievers in history," said Hall of Fame president Dale Petrovsky. <br /><br />Gossage becomes the fourth closer to be enshrined in Cooperstown, joining Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley and Bruce Sutter, who was inducted in 2006. <br /><br />In recent years, Gossage expressed anger over his exclusion but his hopes were raised last year, when he fell only 21 votes shy of election with 71.2 percent. <br /><br />Chuck Tanner, who managed Gossage for the White Sox from 1972-75 and again in Pittsburgh in 1977 wholly endorsed his election. <br /><br />Ranking Gossage above Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter, two other Hall of Famers he managed, Tanner paid tribute to Gossage's presence on the mound. <br /><br />"He was always in such command, he could throw 100 miles per hour and he had that intimidating look with the Fu Manchu moustache," Tanner said. "He looked like John Wayne coming out of the corral. <br /><br />"And the thing about Goose was he never had an easy save. It wasn't uncommon for him to throw two of three innings at a time to get a save. He should have been chosen the first year he was eligible. In my opinion there shouldn't be a Hall of Fame if Goose is not in it." <br /><br />Former Boston Red Sox slugger Jim Rice again fell short in his 14th year on the ballot, receiving 72.9 percent of the vote and missing by just 14 votes. <br /><br />Next year will be Rice's final year of eligibility on the writer's ballot. He did improve, however, on last year's total of 63.5 percent. <br /><br />"Today's results are obviously a disappointment," Rice said. "I believe my accomplishments speak for themselves, and a majority of the voters seem to agree. <br /><br />"It is tough to come this close, but I remain hopeful for the 2009 results. I appreciate all the kind words from so many players, including Rich Gossage, and I congratulate Goose on his well-deserved election today." <br /><br />Also failing short Tuesday were outfielder Andre Dawson (65.9 percent) and pitcher Bert Blyleven (61.9 percent). <br /><br />Mark McGwire, once considered a lock for the Hall of Fame after slugging 563 home runs in a 16-year career with Oakland and St. Louis, received another disappointing total in his second year on the ballot. <br /><br />McGwire garnered just 23.6 percent of the vote, virtually the same total from last year (23.5). <br /><br />McGwire, who is eighth on the all-time home run list, set a single-season record 70 in 1998, a mark since broken by Barry Bonds. But he was one of the first players linked to performance-enhancing drugs and many of the baseball writers have held that against him. <br /><br />McGwire never has admitted to steroid use but also refused to "talk about the past" while appearing before a congressional committee investigating steroid use in baseball in 2005. <br /><br />During the induction ceremony on July 27, Gossage will be joined by Dick Williams, his former manager with the San Diego Padres, who was inducted by the veteran's committee last month. <br /><br />Gossage pitched in three World Series and made nine All-Star teams. He ranks only 17th on the all-time saves list and never had more than 33 in a single season. <br /><br />However, he pitched in an era when saves weren't as common. Also, he often pitched two or even three innings in an appearance, unlike today's closers, who are used primarily in the ninth inning only. <br /><br />During his prime, Gossage was one of the game's most intimidating pitchers with a fastball that approached 100 miles per hour. <br /><br />"With a 95-mile-an-hour fastball and an intimidating presence on the mound, he revolutionized the closer's role," said Padres CEO Sandy Alderson in a statement. <br /><br />"Goose was a vital part of San Diego's first National League pennant and we are happy he has now been recognized as one of baseball's greats." <br /><br />Gossage pitched more than 100 innings in a season four times, something San Diego's Trevor Hoffman, the all-time saves leader with 524, never has done. <br /><br />Gossage posted a career record of 124-107 with 1,502 strikeouts and 3.01 ERA. <br /><br />Next year marks the first year of eligibility for Rickey Henderson, the all-time stolen base leader.http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2008/01/gossage-elected-to-hall-of-fame.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Kaye)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-8757653871380481330Sun, 16 Dec 2007 05:17:00 +00002007-12-15T21:19:11.512-08:00Yankees' Pettitte says he used HGH- Blatantly Disgusting'If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize.'<br />By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com<br /><br />NEW YORK -- Two days after being named in the Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drug use in baseball, Andy Pettitte admitted to using human growth hormone twice during the 2002 season. <br />"If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize," Pettitte said Saturday in a statement released by his agent."I accept responsibility for those two days." <br /><br />Pettitte was among 89 players -- and 22 current or former Yankees -- to be named in Sen. George Mitchell's long-awaited report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. <br /><br />Through agent Randy Hendricks, Pettitte confirmed the anecdote contained in the Mitchell Report, which stated that the left-hander experimented with HGH on two occasions while rehabilitating elbow tendinitis from April 21 to June 14, 2002, when he was on the disabled list and working out in Tampa, Fla. <br /><br />"I had heard that human growth hormone could promote faster healing for my elbow," Pettitte said. "I felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible. For this reason, and only this reason, for two days I tried human growth hormone." <br /><br />According to the report, Pettitte called Brian McNamee -- by then, a former Yankees assistant trainer who still worked closely with Pettitte and Roger Clemens -- and asked McNamee to travel to Tampa. <br /><br />McNamee told the Mitchell investigators that he injected Pettitte with HGH two to four times, obtained from former Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski. Pettitte paid for McNamee's trip and expenses, but McNamee said there was no separate payment for the HGH. <br /><br />Pettitte returned from the disabled list on June 14 of that season and made 19 starts through the remainder of the regular season, going 12-4 with a 3.29 ERA. <br /><br />"Though it was not against baseball rules, I was not comfortable with what I was doing, so I stopped," Pettitte said. "This is it -- two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career, when I was injured and on the disabled list." <br /><br />Major League Baseball did not ban HGH until the 2005 season. Pettitte said that repeated references in the media to his using steroids have not only been incorrect, but that they were "hurtful to me and my family." <br />"Everything else written or said about me knowingly using illegal drugs is nonsense, wrong and hurtful," Pettitte said. "I have the utmost respect for baseball and have always tried to live my life in a way that would be honorable. I wasn't looking for an edge; I was looking to heal. <br /><br />"If I have let down people that care about me, I am sorry, but I hope that you will listen to me carefully and understand that two days of perhaps bad judgment should not ruin a lifetime of hard work and dedication. <br /><br />"I have tried to do things the right way my entire life, and, again, ask that you put those two days in the proper context. People that know me will know that what I say is true." <br /><br />Pettitte, 35, finalized a one-year, $16 million contract with the Yankees last week. He was 15-9 with a 4.05 ERA for the Yankees in 2007, his first season back in New York after pitching three years for the Houston Astros. <br /><br />In a statement released by the club, spokesman Howard Rubenstein said the Yankees were made aware of Pettitte's forthcoming admission late on Saturday. <br /><br />"We support his coming forward," the team said.http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2007/12/yankees-pettitte-says-he-used-hgh.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Kaye)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19796169.post-8161645050774978565Sun, 16 Dec 2007 05:14:00 +00002007-12-15T21:17:20.087-08:00D-backs add Haren, deal ValverdeArizona lands A's ace, trades All-Star closer for Burke, Qualls<br />By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com<br /><br />PHOENIX -- Christmas came early for the D-backs this year, as they wound up getting the starting pitcher that was at the top of their list on Friday. <br />Arizona acquired Dan Haren from the A's in exchange for six prospects in a move that they hope will help them defend their National League West title next season. The D-backs also received pitcher Connor Robertson in the deal. <br /><br />"I think he's on the short list of very good pitchers out there," D-backs general manager Josh Byrnes said of Haren. "His age [combined] with three years of control factor all that in to us, and he was our No. 1 priority." <br /><br />In another move, the D-backs dealt closer Jose Valverde to the Astros for pitcher Chad Qualls, infielder/outfielder Chris Burke and pitcher Juan Gutierrez.<br /><br />Haren, 27, has won at least 14 games in each of the past three seasons for Oakland. Last year, he was 15-9 with a 3.07 ERA, he was 14-13 in 2006 and 14-12 in 2005. <br /><br />Not only has Haren been effective on the mound, he's cost-effective off it. The right-hander is under contract for $4 million in 2008, $5.5 million in 2009 and there is a club option for 2010 for $6.75 million. <br /><br />With the market for starting pitchers extremely tight, Haren's name was mentioned often in rumors that swirled around the Winter Meetings last week in Nashville, Tenn. <br /><br />"Definitely relief," Haren said when asked how he felt after hearing he'd been dealt. "I'm all over the Internet and newspapers, even though I shouldn't be, and I saw my name out there so much. They [the D-backs] were definitely one of the teams that if I did get traded I was hoping I would go to. Like I said, the organization is headed in the right direction." <br /><br />While there were many suitors for Haren, the D-backs matched up well with the A's because of the amount of well-regarded prospects they had in their system. Parting with pitchers Brett Anderson, Greg Smith and Dana Eveland, along with outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Aaron Cunningham and first baseman Chris Carter, though, was not an easy decision to make. <br /><br />Arizona officials wrestled over the past week with just how much they were willing to give up for Haren. <br /><br />"We presented a rare circumstance for them where they [the A's] could get so many good players," Byrnes said. "They understood our desire not to really strip apart our 2008 team, so our interests were fairly aligned. It just took a while to make the trade work because of the magnitude of it, very good prospects going one way and one of the best pitchers in the game coming our way." <br /><br />Robertson appeared in three games for the A's last year, but had a good year at Triple-A Sacramento, where he was 4-1 with a 4.35 ERA in 31 relief appearances. <br /><br />The D-backs like Robertson's breaking ball and like his Minor League track record. <br /><br />Arizona now heads into Spring Training with a rotation of Brandon Webb, Haren, Randy Johnson, Doug Davis and likely Micah Owings in the fifth spot. Webb, Davis and Haren all have a history of throwing 200-plus innings a season, while Johnson when healthy has done likewise. <br /><br />By trading so many prospects for Haren, the D-backs are clearly banking that he's the guy to help them advance even farther than they did last year when they were swept by the Rockies in the National League Championship Series. <br /><br />"I don't like to walk guys," Haren said in describing his style on the mound. "I usually try to make the guys swing the bat to get on base. I would probably describe myself as aggressive, and then when a situation comes where I need an out, I will always go to my split-finger. My split-finger is obviously my best pitch. I throw that and a curveball for strikes. <br /><br />"I pride myself a lot in durability, and the last three years I've gone over 200 innings and it's something I plan on doing for the next couple of years, too. I do a lot of working out in the offseason and I really take a lot of pride in what I do." <br /><br />It's been a hectic week for Haren. He and his wife, Jessica, welcomed son, Rhett, into the world on Tuesday. <br /><br />"I've probably slept four hours since she went into labor," he said. <br /><br />As he heard the rumors about possibly being traded to Arizona, Haren asked around and got good reports on the D-backs organization. Former teammate Barry Zito told Haren he thought he would enjoy it there. <br /><br />"I'm extremely excited," he said. "Just having spent a couple of Spring Trainings in Phoenix, me and my wife really loved the town. There's just so much to do. The team is obviously on the rise, a lot of young guys, looks like a fun team to be on, looks like a loose clubhouse, which is something I really liked in Oakland." <br /><br />Gonzalez was regarded as the club's best position player prospect, but he became expendable when Arizona signed Eric Byrnes to a three-year, $30 million deal last August. The D-backs appear to be set in the outfield for the next several years with Byrnes, Chris Young and Justin Upton. The club also could have felt free to deal Gonzalez because of the presence of outfielder Gerardo Parra, who played at Class A Visalia and South Bend last year. <br /><br />Smith and Anderson were both highly regarded pitching prospects in the organization. Smith, a sixth-round pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, had some injury issues last season, but pitched well in the Arizona Fall League and could have had a chance to pitch for the D-backs at some time during 2008. <br /><br />Anderson was selected out of high school in the second round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft and was arguably the organization's best pitching prospect other than Max Scherzer. Anderson, who will turn 20 in February, started last year with South Bend before being promoted to Visalia. <br /><br />Cunningham, 21, was acquired last summer from the White Sox, and in 31 games for Double-A Mobile, he hit .288 with five homers and 20 RBIs while compiling an .898 OPS. <br /><br />Eveland, 24, was acquired by the D-backs from the Brewers prior to last season. Scouts rave about the left-hander's stuff and he's always put up good numbers in the Minor Leagues, but he has yet to translate that success to the big league level. <br /><br />Carter, who will be 21 next week, was picked up during the Winter Meetings from the White Sox in exchange for outfielder Carlos Quentin. Carter hit .291 with 25 homers and 93 RBIs for Class A Kannopolis.http://bballbiz.blogspot.com/2007/12/d-backs-add-haren-deal-valverde.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Kaye)0